Giants Can Create 2018 Cap Space
- The Giants have several ways to open cap space this offseason and SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano goes over players who could end up being salary-cap cuts. Veterans Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie ($8.5MM cap hit in 2018), Brandon Marshall ($6.1MM cap hit), and Janoris Jenkins ($13MM) were the most notable of the potential cuts. Vacchiano also listed Eli Apple, who the team took in the first round of the 2016 draft, as an option to clear cap space. Apple would have a $4.13MM cap hit next season.
Giants Hire Mike Shula As Offensive Coordinator
The Giants have hired Mike Shula as offensive coordinator, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (on Twitter). An official announcement is expected later today. 
Shula spent seven seasons with the Panthers before he was fired in January. His longstanding relationship with former Panthers GM and current Giants GM Dave Gettleman helped him land a new OC gig in New York.
Last year, Carolina placed 19th in total offense (323.7), 17th in offensive DVOA, fourth in rushing offense (131.4), 28th in passing (192.3), and 12th in points (22.7). Ultimately, it wasn’t good enough as the Panthers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The Giants believe that Shula can deliver better results for them in 2018.
Along with his role as offensive coordinator, Shula is expected to assume the role as the Giants’ quarterbacks coach, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Shula, 52, the son of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, previously worked as the quarterbacks coach for the Jaguars and four seasons as the head coach at Alabama before landing his job with the Panthers. He’s also previously worked as the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers (1996-1999).
The Giants ranked 21st in the NFL in total yards per game (314.2) under last season’s offensive coordinator, Mike Sullivan, who was given the chance to pursue other opportunities after the hiring of Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur and is now serving as the Broncos quarterbacks coach.
Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham. was limited to just four games last season and Eli Manning was benched for a contest in favor of Geno Smith. Mike Shula will also be tasked with helping the Giants jumpstart their ground game as they ranked 26th in the league at 96.9 yards rushing per game.
Shurmur now has the offensive and defensive coordinators for his new staff, with the Giants agreeing to terms with former Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher in late January. The team was also looking to potentially hire Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski as offensive coordinator but were denied a request to interview him.
Giants Considering Trading Down
- Neither the Giants nor the Colts are committed to staying at Nos. 2 and 3 in the draft. Both picks are for sale, Miller notes. The likely scenario coming out of last season was a Giants quarterback pick, since they have not held a top-five choice in 14 years, but new management has come out with effusive Eli Manning praise. The Giants trading out of a possible franchise-quarterback spot would be interesting given Manning’s age and their rare opportunity atop a draft. The Colts would make more sense as a trade-down team, with numerous needs after a season that saw them rank 31st on offense and 30th on defense. Andrew Luck‘s murky timeline notwithstanding, Indianapolis is not a threat to take a first-round quarterback and could well leverage other teams who are interested in doing so.
Latest On Giants' OC Search
- Eagles OC Frank Reich has emerged as the favorite for the Colts’ HC job, and assuming the two sides can strike a deal, Philadelphia will almost certainly not let RBs coach Duce Staley interview for the Giants’ OC vacancy, as Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv tweets (indeed, Staley could become the Eagles’ next OC if Reich departs). Yesterday, Vacchiano and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com broke down where Big Blue’s OC search currently stands, and it’s not exactly good news for new head coach Pat Shurmur.
Eagles' Duce Staley Still Under Contract
Aside from facing off in three playoff games in a seven-season stretch from 1993-2000, the Giants and Vikings can’t exactly be classified as rivals. Well, the teams may have some animosity for a bit. The Vikings denied Kevin Stefanski a chance to interview for the Giants’ OC position, and Minnesota’s QBs coach being the previous favorite for that job could make matters difficult for Pat Shurmur.
This is relevant because Duce Staley remains under contract with the Eagles, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports. Staley, Philly’s RBs coach, is said to be viewed as the Giants’ next choice for the OC role. But with Frank Reich in contention to become the Colts’ head coach, the Eagles could well deny their NFC East rivals permission to speak with Staley. This would keep the 42-year-old assistant in Philly in an attempt to foster some continuity in the event Reich leaves. This chain of events unfolding would make Staley a logical candidate to be the next Eagles OC.
The Giants have not yet requested permission to speak with Staley, but if the Eagles were to block the move, Darrell Bevell and Harold Goodwin may be the next coaches in line. Both are coaching free agents. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv gives an edge to Bevell in the event Staley stays in Pennsylvania. Complicating this further, Bevell has been mentioned as a possible Colts OC.
Vikings Deny Giants Permission To Interview Kevin Stefanski
The Giants are going to have to look elsewhere for an offensive coordinator, because the Vikings don’t plan to open the door for Kevin Stefanski to leave the Twin Cities.
The Vikings denied the Giants permission to interview their quarterbacks coach for their OC job, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Facebook link). This comes even after the Vikings hired Eagles QBs coach John DeFilippo to replace Pat Shurmur.
Shurmur will now have to move on to other candidates to fill the OC post in New York. DeFilippo’s arrival in Minnesota certainly makes the franchise preventing Stefanski from becoming an OC interesting, especially after the Eagles granted DeFilippo permission for the Vikings interview, but the defending NFC North champions did interview Stefanski for their OC job and clearly don’t want to lose him just yet.
The Giants are also believed to be considering Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley and former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell for the position. But with Stefanski’s ties to Shurmur, he was the logical favorite to be the new Big Blue HC’s right-hand man on offense.
No interviews have commenced for this position, with Stefanski apparently set to be the first. Meetings about this job figure to occur soon, though, now that Stefanski won’t be going to the Big Apple.
Stefanski, 35, has been with the Vikings for 12 seasons. He was already an assistant quarterbacks coach by age 27, when then-starting passer Brett Favre was 40, illustrating how the franchise views him. Stefanski’s moved from tight ends coach to running backs instructor to QBs coach over the past four years, and it looks like he’ll stay on for a second season developing Minnesota’s signal-callers — now under DeFilippo’s direction.
Shurmur and Staley have an extensive history, with the former running back being a player during Shurmur’s first Philadelphia stint and then a coach during his second, whereas Shurmur and Bevell have never coached on an NFL staff together. However, Shurmur looks to be seeking an OC with experience coaching quarterbacks, and Staley has yet to serve in that role since breaking into the coaching ranks. Former Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin has also been mentioned as a candidate.
Staley will require Eagles permission to interview with the Giants, whereas Bevell and Goodwin are coaching free agents.
Giants Hire Mark Koncz As Consultant
- Giants GM Dave Gettleman has brought in former Panthers director of player personnel Mark Koncz as a consultant, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. The two worked together with the Panthers, but Koncz was let go last year after Gettleman was fired and Marty Hurney took over as interim GM. Koncz will work with the scouting department as they prepare for the draft in April.
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Giants Cut Bobby Hart From IR
Bobby Hart‘s time in Giants limbo came to an end on Friday. The team jettisoned its former right tackle starter from injured reserve, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
The Giants waived Hart back in December, within hours of Dave Gettleman beginning his GM run, but the team waiving him with an injury designation on December 30 meant he couldn’t clear waivers until after Super Bowl LII. Once he did so, he landed on the Giants’ IR list. He is now off that list and no longer part of the Giants’ future.
Gettleman made that clear by cutting him on his first day as GM. A former seventh-round pick out of Florida State, Hart factored in prominent to recent Giants offensive lines. He started 21 games, 20 over the past two seasons, but was obviously not a Gettleman favorite. He and Ereck Flowers caused pre-Week 17 disruptions centered around refusal to play through injuries, and the latter’s future with the Giants could be in jeopardy as well.
Gettleman has made offensive line repair a key part of his offseason mission, and it’s likely Eli Manning will have a host of new blockers in front of him in 2018. Hart will have a head start on his past line mates in terms of finding a new team.
Darrell Bevell On Giants’ OC Radar?
John DeFilippo agreeing to become the Vikings’ OC looks to clear a path for Minnesota QBs coach Kevin Stefanski to join Pat Shurmur with the Giants.
Shurmur will call the Giants’ plays next season, but after not hiring an OC during a rough first year with the 2011 Browns, the new Big Blue HC plans to have one in New York. And Darrell Bevell appears to be on his radar.
The former Seattle OC has come up in other searches — including the one that ended with DeFilippo replacing Shurmur in Minnesota — and Shurmur and Bevell have spoken about the position, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports.
Bevell remains in the mix for the Colts’ OC job, one that will now carry more significance since Josh McDaniels will not be trekking to Indianapolis, and had an interview scheduled with the Falcons as well. The Giants need permission to speak with Stefanski, and if they are not granted it, Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley is viewed as the frontrunner to take over as Giants OC, according to the Sporting News’ Alex Marvez.
Shurmur and Staley worked together when Shurmur served as OC under Chip Kelly. Shurmur was also on Philadelphia’s staff during part of Staley’s career as an Eagles running back. The Vikings’ OC from 2006-10, Bevell has not served on a staff with Shurmur previously but did help the Seahawks become one of the league’s most prolific offenses earlier this decade.
Latest On Giants’ Offensive Coordinator Vacancy
Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski is the Giants’ top target for their offensive coordinator vacancy, a source tells Alex Marvez of The Sporting News. Trouble is, the Vikings will not allow him to walk unless they are able to lure quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo away from the Eagles. If the Vikings block the Giants from hiring Stefanski, they’ll likely turn to Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley, who Marvez characterizes as “the frontrunner” for New York’s OC vacancy. 
DeFilippo could come off the table for the Vikings completely if he is promoted to the Eagles’ own OC job. The Eagles already have Frank Reich in that role, but Reich is up for the Colts’ head coaching position and could be moving on. Apparently, that’s the outcome the Eagles are rooting for – Philly would reportedly like to move DeFilippo into Reich’s position, but they’re not about to fire Reich days after the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory.
In an indirect way, Josh McDaniels flaking on the Colts could cost the Giants their top choice for OC.